Governor Andy Beshear’s office has announced that it will partner with the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis and the Kentucky Lottery Corporation to oversee the second and final lottery for medical marijuana dispensary licenses.
This event will determine selectees for dispensaries in the Kentuckiana and Bluegrass regions. According to state officials, four selectees will be drawn from counties in these regions, excluding Fayette and Jefferson counties. Separate drawings will determine two selectees each for Fayette and Jefferson counties, which include Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky’s largest cities.
This lottery is part of Kentucky’s implementation of its medical marijuana law, signed by Governor Beshear earlier this year. The law establishes a tightly regulated medical cannabis program, allowing qualified patients access to cannabis products through licensed dispensaries. Kentucky’s approach includes using lottery systems to allocate dispensary licenses across the state’s regions, aiming to ensure fair access.
The first lottery, held earlier this month, selected dispensary licensees in nine other regions. The process has faced some criticism over transparency, with concerns about the decision not to release applicant information until all lotteries are complete. Despite this, the state emphasizes that the lotteries ensure fairness in the licensing process as the program takes shape.
The upcoming lottery for the Kentuckiana and Bluegrass regions marks another step forward in Kentucky’s path toward establishing a medical marijuana program expected to serve thousands of patients statewide.
